Debate: Are The WBC Self-Aware?

[Scotsgit]

How many cases of people leaving the "church" are there?

Not a lot. Nate Phelps is the highest profile, though one grandchild left recently, I think. Those who've left have reported child abuse and brainwashing.

So what is preventing these reports from leading to actual legal consequences?

Here's Nate Phelps's take on it.

For those that can't understand part of Dawkin's reaction, I should point out that the law in both Scotland and England has no statute of limitations:  It doesn't matter when you committed a crime, be it 1973 or 2003, when the Police catch up with the perp that's them going to trial.  Cases in the last few years have shown this, such as the World's End murders or the (and I loathe the term in this case) 'Bakewell Tart' murder.

There's no statute of limitations on murder in the US either.  The UK does have the Limitation Act of 1980, which limits the period of time before which charges must be brought for certain offenses, though it defines the offenses on which it applies more strictly than US jurisdictions tend to.

That sounds like English common law, in Scots Law they like to throw the book at someone who's evaded justice for too long, as happened with Peter Tobin.

[N. De Plume]

Statute of Limitations on Child Abuse makes no sense. As if an 8-year-old has the wherewithal to press charges.

[Smurfette Principle]

Statute of Limitations on Child Abuse makes no sense. As if an 8-year-old has the wherewithal to press charges.

This. It's as bad a crime as murder, and should be treated in the same manner.

[The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist]

I don't know if I'd say that child abuse is on par with murder, but I definitely agree that there shouldn't be a statute of limitations on it.

[Kain]

Ehhh, to quote the movie Speed, "Crazy, but not stupid".

[Lithp]

Do any of you think there are "churches" with similar beliefs to the WBC that don't attract attention?

There was a topic not too long ago about an arguably even crazier group (of like 2 people) who don't get as much attention even though they outright attack counter-protestors.

And I agree, Statute of Limitations is beginning to look a lot like horseshit.

[Sigmaleph]

I keep reading the thread title and interpreting as a question on whether Fred Phelps is a p-zombie.

On topic, I'm relatively sure at least some of them (Fred being the most obvious) do it for the money & attention. But that doesn't mean he doesn't believe it. In fact, he probably does, which is why he chose this particular means of shit-stirring.

Also, there's evidence that simply publicly speaking in favour of an idea makes you more likely to believe it. Assuming Fred was even slightly homophobic at first, by now he must be as hateful as he acts.

[one-shot]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

[Osama bin Bambi]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

That would make us just as bad as them, and we don't want that.

[one-shot]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

That would make us just as bad as them, and we don't want that.

I agree.  It was more a hypothetical/rhetorical question. 
On another note, I find it strange that most within conservative xtianity disagrees with the WBC.  That's ultimately what they're all aiming for.

[Osama bin Bambi]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

That would make us just as bad as them, and we don't want that.

I agree.  It was more a hypothetical/rhetorical question. 
On another note, I find it strange that most within conservative xtianity disagrees with the WBC.  That's ultimately what they're all aiming for.

Not necessarily. I know conservative Christians who believe that evolution is a lie, that abortion is murder, that everyone who doesn't believe like they do is going to hell, that we all have to be Israel fanboys, yadda yadda yadda, but like 90% of them will concede that marriage is a civil right that should be extended to same-sex couples. I don't think most Christians are aiming to force gays/bisexuals/transgenders back into the closet, nor do they want to kill them all. We just hear about shitheads like the WBC the most because they're vocal. They feed off of our raeg.

[one-shot]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

That would make us just as bad as them, and we don't want that.

I agree.  It was more a hypothetical/rhetorical question. 
On another note, I find it strange that most within conservative xtianity disagrees with the WBC.  That's ultimately what they're all aiming for.

Not necessarily. I know conservative Christians who believe that evolution is a lie, that abortion is murder, that everyone who doesn't believe like they do is going to hell, that we all have to be Israel fanboys, yadda yadda yadda, but like 90% of them will concede that marriage is a civil right that should be extended to same-sex couples. I don't think most Christians are aiming to force gays/bisexuals/transgenders back into the closet, nor do they want to kill them all. We just hear about shitheads like the WBC the most because they're vocal. They feed off of our raeg.

True.  And they might just go away if we didn't pay any attention to them, but it's really hard to not feed the trolls.  Sometimes, they're just asking for a beat down.

[The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist]

It's probably a combination of Even Evil Has Standards and the fact that the WBC are very anti-American, despite being American themselves.

[Scotsgit]

This just popped in my head, because that's the way it works.    Anyway, what do you guys think would happen if there was a group from the LGBT community who decided to form and protest funerals of high profile members of the conservative community? 

That would make us just as bad as them, and we don't want that.

I agree.  It was more a hypothetical/rhetorical question. 
On another note, I find it strange that most within conservative xtianity disagrees with the WBC.  That's ultimately what they're all aiming for.

I suppose they could protest the funerals of a WBC member, but even were they to do that, I'd just do a silent protest.

At the moment, WBC seems to be doing a good job of getting people to believe the opposite of what they want:  If they'd stuck to the funerals of LGBT people, I think they would have maintained their support, but picketing the funerals of dead soldiers must be costing them a lot of support.